Archive for June, 2011

On One Nation – Imagination: A message from the heavens to earth

My son-in-law and daughter caught U2 when they were in town. Thanks, Robert, for this. -gw

From: Northwest BahaiLibrary

A message from the heavens: "7 billion people – One Nation – Imagination"
Commander Kelly and U2 in Seattle last week – the world's first
performance between earth and space…

(portion)

(the entire song minus a
small part at the beginning)

 

Religious and sectarian antagonism, the hostility of races and peoples, and differences among nations, will be eliminated. All men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended into one race, and become a single people. All will dwell in one common fatherland, which is the planet itself.

 

On an Amazing Sculpture: By touching various sensors immerse themselves in an unknown world.

My dear Canadian correspondent is helping me vary my diet of football and more football on Baha'i Views by sending me items like this, about an interactive sculpture that educates about the religions of the world. -gw

On This Is a Teacher: I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe

 
Baha'is often gravitate to a career in teaching. One blogger I followed several years ago during his Year of Service in the Caribbean has since graduated from college and is now a high school teacher of science (and also newly married). Here Praveen passes on a story, "Who Is a Teacher?" -gw


The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.
One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued,
"What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in
life was to become a teacher?"
 
To stress his point he said to another guest;
"You're a teacher, Bonnie.  Be honest. What do you make?"
 
Teacher Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied,
"You want to know what I make?
(She paused for a second, then began…)
 
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
 
I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.
 
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't
make them sit for 5 min. without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
 
You want to know what I make?
(She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)
 
I make kids wonder.
 
I make them question.
 
I make them apologize and mean it.
 
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
 
I teach them how to write and then I make them write.
Keyboarding isn't everything.
 
I make them read, read, read.
 
I make them show all their work in math.
They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.
 
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need
to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
 
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
 
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they
were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life
 
( Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)
 
Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money
isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because
they are ignorant. You want to know what I make?
 
I MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ALL YOUR LIVES, EDUCATING KIDS AND PREPARING THEM TO BECOME CEO's ,AND DOCTORS AND ENGINEERS……….
 
What do you make Mr. CEO?
 

His jaw dropped; he went silent.

~~ Warm  greetings, Praveen.

http://simpletechlife.in/

On Celebrating the Invaders/Tigers Coaches: Tireless and selfless

 
I experienced both joy and sorrow this past weekend. The gathering at Tim & Deb's Friday night to celebrate the tireless and selfless work of the Invaders/Tigers coaches was the joy. -gw
 
 

To the extent that work is consciously undertaken in a spirit of service to humanity, Bahá’u’lláh says, it is a form of prayer, a means of worshiping God. Every individual has the capacity to see himself or herself in this light, and it is to this inalienable capacity of the self that development strategy must appeal, whatever the nature of the plans being pursued, whatever the rewards they promise.

 

On Celebrating the Virtues of Dad: And the attibutes of God

 
 
Red Grammer as the soundtrack for an Invaders football practice may sound a bit unusual. But not really. Here Matt's children celebrate the virtues of their Dad, while Red Grammer sings of the attributes of God. -gw

On ‘Abdu’l-Baha in the Kitchen: Cooking as service

We gathered round him in a circle, and he made us sit beside him in the window seat. One of the members, who was ill, had a specially beautiful greeting from him. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá began by saying, as he seated himself: “Are you happy?” and our faces must have shown him that we were. He then said: “I love you all, you are the children of the Kingdom, and you are accepted of God. Though you may be poor here, you are rich in the treasures of the Kingdom. I am the Servant of the poor. Remember how His Holiness Jesus said: ‘Blessed are the poor!’ If all the queens of the earth were gathered here, I could not be more glad!”

 

‘Abdu’l-Bahá knew that we had a treasury box from which we try to help people less fortunate than ourselves. Presently he rose, and said: “You are dear to me. I want to do something for you! I cannot cook for you (he had previously seen us busy in the kitchen) but here is something for your fund.” He went round the circle to each, with a beautiful smile, shaking hands with all, and giving the Bahá’í greeting: “Alláh’u’Abhá!”

 
 
 
Sit at the counter at the Southern Kitchen restaurant in Tacoma and you get to watch the intense activity in the kitchen. What a wonderful service it is to prepare food for others!  'Abdu'l-Baha would serve in this manner. Bonita cooks for me. In one of my most viewed videos, Feloria would cook for Zee, in a story told by Rocky. -gw
 

On Our Community Grows: 17-year-old registers as a Baha’i

Miss Lisa introduces our newest Baha'i, a resident of the vibrant Salishan neighborhood. -gw

On Faces in the Crowd: Really, it’s all family

 
Taking photos of the action on the football field is great, but even more enjoyable for me is being able to slip in shots of the crowd. In semi-pro football almost all of the people who come to a game are family. Added fun for me when at the game is trying to figure out what families and fans are there to see what players. Sometimes I'll just ask. -gw
 

When you love a member of your family or a compatriot, let it be with a ray of the Infinite Love! Let it be in God, and for God! Wherever you find the attributes of God love that person, whether he be of your family or of another. Shed the light of a boundless love on every human being whom you meet, whether of your country, your race, your political party, or of any other nation, colour or shade of political opinion. Heaven will support you while you work in this in-gathering of the scattered peoples of the world beneath the shadow of the almighty tent of unity.

 
'Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks

On the Flora and Fauna of Katy Lake: Thralls of its dominion

 
 
Katy Lake, one of the seep lakes below the Potholes Reservoir, is our spiritual place, a place where we get in touch with nature. -gw
 

The infinite starry worlds and heavenly bodies are nature’s obedient subjects. The earth and its myriad organisms, all minerals, plants and animals are thralls of its dominion.

 
'Abdu'l-Baha

On Most Viewed Music Videos: An eclectic Baha’i-inspired mix

I've accumulated quite a inventory of videos on our Baha'i Views /Flitzy Pheobie Flickr site. Tonight I've been going through the most-viewed "music videos." These are all raw clips that feature music — usally with either a harsh start or a harsh finish, and never a whole song, because Flickr limits videos to 90 seconds. All but two of these videos were taken with my old camera and are are not in HD, but there are some real great musical moments caught here. Here is the top 9 most-viewed. -gw
 
1. Gwen leading the singing in our home during an Baha'i intensive teaching campaign.
 
 
2. Charles' youthful friend and old neighbor comes to a devotional at our home raps to some Sammy Swell beats I have in my collection.
 
 
3. A busker at the Pike Place Market.
 
 
4. A brief clip of my favorite Baha'i song of all time recorded during a home visit to Rashid's.
 
 
5. A recording ofTracy Chapman singing a song I consider Baha'i-inspired at another of our Thursday Baha'i devotionals.
 
 
6. A Chelsea-Lynn song played at our devotonal.
 
 
7. A chorus of coyotes along the Columbia River.
 
 
8. Helen and the girls singing in their car outside Hajji Hossein's house before a children's class there.
 
 
9. Listening to my favorite pow-wow music with Toby and Norm at our devotional.
 
 

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